THESE ARE PAINTINGS OF ICONS, NOT ICONS THEMSELVES. CREATING A TRUE RELIGIOUS ICON FOLLOWS A SACRED AND HIGHLY DETAILED PROCESS. IT INVOLVES SPECIFIC, PROSCRIBED STEPS—INCLUDING THE CAREFUL SELECTION OF THE SURFACE, THE TYPE OF PAINT USED, AND THE METHOD OF SOURCING THE IMAGE, WHICH IS TRADITIONALLY TRACED FROM A PRE-EXISTING ICON. EACH AUTHENTIC ICON IS PART OF A LINEAGE, EVOLVING FROM THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE IT. MY PAINTINGS OF ICONS ARE INSPIRED BY ANCIENT, TRADITIONAL IMAGERY AND I USE THOSE VISUALS AS REFERENCES—BUT THAT IS WHERE THE SIMILARITY ENDS. THESE WORKS ARE PERSONAL EXPRESSIONS, NOT LITURGICAL CREATIONS. I PAINT THEM BECAUSE THE PROCESS BRINGS ME CLOSER TO MY SENSE OF GOD AND THE SAINTS. THEY ARE ALSO A WAY OF RECONNECTING WITH THE ICONS THAT ONCE ADORNED THE WALLS OF MY CHILDHOOD HOME.
